Female Athlete of the Week: Becca Heymann

Senior midfielder Becca Heymann takes a corner kick during a 1-0 victory against Carnegie Mellon University on Oct. 11. Heymann has scored four goals and made one assist this season. This is her fourth year with Bears soccer. (Nora Jehle | Student Life)

Major: PNP (Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology)

Hometown: Winchester, Mass.

Senior soccer co-captain Becca Heymann scored two goals and had an assist in Sunday’s 8-0 victory against Fontbonne University. Heymann’s contributions earned her UAA Offensive Athlete of the Week and also this week’s Student Life Athlete of the Week.

Student Life: What’s the biggest game remaining on your schedule?

Becca Heymann: I’m really excited to play Brandeis and have my family and friends there. Brandeis just beat Emory, who we tied. All our games from here on out are important. We have to win them all in order to win the UAA. If we get our business done this weekend, Chicago is going to be the clinching game.

SL: What’s the toughest part of playing in the UAA?

BH: The UAA is one of the strongest conferences in Division III for women’s soccer. For that reason, every game you play, you have to show up. The nice thing is that all the teams we play have similar academic pressures so the girls that we’re playing against are kind of like us in a lot of ways. But that means that they’re just as dedicated.

SL: How does it feel to be on a 12-game unbeaten streak?

BH: For us, tying at Emory felt like a loss. It doesn’t feel like we have been coasting or anything like that. When we beat Rochester, we beat them in overtime. We’ve had challenging games that we’ve won. We’re staying positive because we haven’t had any letdowns other than that Emory game.

SL: What part of your game have you improved the most at Wash. U.?

BH: Something I’ve improved on is my ability to play off the players around me, always playing one- and two-touch, create opportunities where they might otherwise not exist.

SL: What’s it like being a captain?

BH: I really want everyone on our team to feel like they’re an important part of our team, because they are. We have three captains, and we each sort of fill in different places. I’m not the loudest person in terms of motivating people. Before games, I always talk to the team. I’m sort of their last word before we go out on the field.

SL: What do you tell the team?

BH: I say something about working harder than the other team, being more physical, why it’s important, and then we do the fight song. I’m well remembered for a speech I gave where I said the other team should reconsider their ever coming onto Francis Field, and that is occasionally repeated in my presence.

SL: What’s the team’s philosophy?

BH: We’re confident but not overly confident. [The seniors are] all are very dedicated to the team and love soccer. We’re leaders that don’t micromanage. We like to lead by example in most cases. That sort of lends itself to a team that doesn’t get super nervous or be really stressed out.

SL: What’s been the biggest influence in your soccer career?

BH: The most important advice I’ve gotten from [a coach] was to play because it’s your release. I’ve always gone to practice and games saying I’m going to have a good time today. It fulfills me in some way. It’s something I like to do and love to do.

SL: What’s something people would be surprised to know about you or your team?

BH: I threw javelin in high school. I was fourth place in New England for prep schools.

The Bears head off to Brandeis and NYU this weekend for more UAA action.